The University of Alaska Board of Regents unanimously approved the university’s FY19 operating and capital budgets, postponed a discussion on the Haines timber project to an upcoming special meeting and recognized outstanding staff at its meeting May 31 in Anchorage.

“I am pleased to report that for the first time in four years, the legislature approved a budget increase for the university. This is great news and reflects a vote of confidence in the university, in our plans and in our leadership for Alaskans and our state,” said UA President Jim Johnsen.� MORE....

The University of Alaska Board of Regents approved the development and disposal plan for the proposed Haines timber sale along with a set of principles that will guide the project at a special meeting on June 19. By a 9-1 vote, regents authorized the university administration to move forward with contract negotiations for the sale of up to 13,426 acres of university parcels within the Haines Borough.

UA President Jim Johnsen explained that community input reflects both support and concern.� He recognized that there has been extensive community engagement including a series of meetings with Haines officials and community members as well as an extended public comment period and the opportunity for the public to talk directly with the regents during a public call-in session. MORE....

Every day the University of Alaska system and Alaska communities face potential threats from natural causes like earthquakes, tsunamis and ice storms, or human threats such as pandemic illnesses, cyber-terrorists or violent intruders. A lack of preparation could have catastrophic consequences. Effective emergency management and incident response requires that we create a culture of preparedness.

On June 26 Alaska universities put their preparations to the test when they hosted a multi-agency intensive exercise involving 90 participants, including all three universities and statewide executive staff and representatives from the State of Alaska Virology Lab, National Weather Service, Alaska National Guard, State of Alaska, Department of Homeland Security and Fairbanks North Star Borough. The scenario involved a massive earthquake causing major destruction, casualties, system failures and increasingly dangerous after-effects designed to push participants to test preparations, action plans, inter-agency coordination and the involvement of senior leadership across multiple agencies. Training exercises like this are part of a national response system and are vital to the safety and health of university communities. MORE....

The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, June 27, 2018, in Janus vs. AFSCME, that public employees cannot be required to pay union fees if they choose to not be in the union. Before the decision, agency fees were deducted from nonmember paychecks for union administrative costs such as contract negotiation. As always, the university will continue to work with union partners.� MORE....

Governor Bill Walker signed several bills into law on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus during the month of June, including the operating budget that contains the first increase to the university’s budget in four years and the capital budget that includes important funds to address UA’s deferred maintenance.

UAA’s Child Welfare Academy hosted a bill signing on June 7, where the governor signed foster care reform legislation alongside many children and youth who were either current or former foster care children.

On June 13, Governor Walker signed both budgets and Permanent Fund fiscal plan legislation at a ceremony in the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) Building. He was joined by students participating in the ANSEP program. MORE....

The University of Alaska contracted with McDowell Group of Juneau to conduct a statewide public opinion survey in March 2018 to better understand Alaskans’ perceptions of their quality of life, the economy, outlook for the future of Alaska, and their level of concern for a number of statewide issues such as crime, energy costs, climate change, quality of education, and employment. The telephone survey was privately funded, and 623 randomly selected households throughout the state participated in the survey.

Key findings and MORE...

On June 20, Dr. Sam Gingerich announced that he will retire after the conclusion of his term as UAA interim chancellor on September 15. He will continue to serve in the position until Dr. Cathy Sandeen takes office on the same date. President Johnsen notified university leadership and Summit Team members of Gingerich’s retirement in a June 20 memo.

President Johnsen expressed sincere appreciation for Interim Chancellor Gingerich’s service in his memo, writing: “Sam has been an advocate for UAA and his passion for higher education has been evident in his leadership style. I am grateful for his service, both as UAA provost and as interim chancellor, and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

The memo also announced two additional leadership changes at UAA. MORE...